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McDonald Shooting To Win 2014 Caulfield Guineas

Expat Kiwi hoop James McDonald has been booked to take over from Tim Clark on the Peter & Paul Snowden-trained Shooting To Win when the promising colt runs in Saturday week’s Caulfield Guineas 2014.

Stan Fox Stakes winner Shooting To Win will be ridden by James McDonald in the 2014 Caulfield Guineas. Photo: Steve Hart.

For his past three runs the Northern Meteor three-year-old has been partnered by Clark to produce a trio of top three finishes in Group company.

Sydney jockey’s premiership winner McDonald then is excited over his prospects on October 11 when tested in elite level company for the second time in the $1 million Group 1 Caulfield Guineas (1600m).

It will be the first time McDonald partners with the horse under race conditions, but he has been aboard for two trials, the last of which was a third over 1000m at Hawkesbury on August 11 before his new season return.

Two back Shooting To Win made his Group 1 debut three runs into his new season campaign and ran an eye catching third beaten one and a half lengths by Hallowed Crown in the Golden Rose over 1400m at Rosehill Gardens.

It was a flashing finish there after he sat near the back of the pack for the first 1000m of the classic, and a performance that hinted at improvement to come.

That certainly proved to be the case then when 14 days later he backed up at the same track, this time racing over 1500m in the Group 2 Stan Fox Stakes.

After missing the kick in last weekend’s Caulfield Guineas lead-up, Shooting To Win forced himself into the race and settled in a lovely spot just up behind the leader.

Moving up along the rail he stormed clear on the straight and was far too good for Scissor Kick, who came off a luckless Golden Rose second, to win by a commanding three lengths.

Team Snowden and now McDonald then are keen to see how the up-and-comer goes when up over a mile for the Caulfield Guineas which will be without Golden Rose winner Hallowed Crown who races this weekend instead before a shot at the $500,000 Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) in November.

Shooting To Win meanwhile is one of three other single figure hopes in the futures markets paying $7.50 to go back-to-back and win his maiden Melbourne run.

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